Saturday, 15 August 2015

The train is the
best way to travel in Japan. If you’re a child
aged 0 to 5 you can travel free,
children aged 6 to 11 travel at half fare. If you’re an adult you may get
offered a free ticket from someone who is done with his or her all day pass. I
would always give away my all day pass to someone when I had reached my final
destination for the day. All day passes are a great option when in Osaka and
Tokyo.

Osaka Unlimited All Day Train Pass

The Osaka
subways have an unlimited 1-day pass available for 800 yen/day, buy it at the
ticket vending machines in any subway station. Tokyo has an unlimited all
day Tokyo Metro pass which costs Adult: 600 yen and Child: 360 yen available
only for tourists, and it must be purchased from terminal 1 or 2 at Narita
airport. Otherwise it costs Adult: 710 yen, Child: 360 yen. It can be bought at
the ticket office at any station on the Tokyo Metro Line. The other Tokyo
subway company is called the Toei line. It has all day passes for Adult: 700
yen, Child: 350 yen. These two passes can be combined and bought for Adult:
1000 yen, Child: 500 yen. This will give you unlimited rides for one day on all
subway lines in Tokyo. There are also welcome tickets from Haneda airport that
offer a ride from the airport and a 1,2 or 3 day pass on all Tokyo subway
lines. http://www.haneda-tokyo-access.com/en/info/discountticket.html

Umeda Station Midosuji Line Osaka Japan

Kansai Thru Pass

There are also discount train
tickets for tourist to travel around Osaka. The
best pass to buy is the Kansai Thru Pass, which costs 4000 yen for 2days or
5200 yen for 3days. This pass allows you unlimited rides on buses , train
lines, subways, not including JR though, throughout the Kansai area. It even
includes discounts on some tourist attractions. They can be
bought in Japan from Osaka city visitors information center (Shin Osaka,
Umeda, Namba, Tennoji), Kansai Airport (Travel Conuter), Itami Airport
(information), Kyoto Station information center, Nara city sightseeing
information center, and main Hotels in Kansai. Your passport will be required.
Other Osaka travel passes can be found at: http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/plan/practical_information/travel_passes/

Waiting For Train Umeda Station Midosuji Line Osaka Japan

Tokyo Grutto Pass

In Tokyo a similar pass is the Grutto
Pass. This is a ticket combining two Tokyo Metro 1 day passes and a discount
coupon book that contains free entry or discount tickets to 78 places of
interest, including museums,art galleries, zoos, aquariums and botanical
gardens around Tokyo. This tourist coupon book is usable for 2 months after the
first use. http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/value/other/index.html

Sightseeing For 120 Yen In Japan

Major cities,
especially Osaka and Tokyo, have massive rail systems that move millions of people
a day. These transport networks include a loop line around the inner city
center and other lines coming into the central stations from the suburbs, and a
subway system that crosses in all directions all over the city. The Osaka JR
(Japan Rail) loop line is a fun sight seeing adventure that costs almost
nothing. Buy the cheapest ticket for 120 yen, which will take you to the next
station, but don’t get off. Continue to ride the loop line all the way around.
It’s all above ground, so there are lots of sights to see. Make sure you don’t
get off at the station you started at. Exit one station from your destination,
as the ticket won’t allow you to exit the station that you bought it at. Tokyo
also has an interesting loop line to ride. Most train station names are posted
in Kanji and English and also the names of the preceding and following
stations.

Umeda JR Station Osaka Japan

How To Ride The Subway In Japan

Subway lines
operate in Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Yokohama.
They are the fastest and most convenient way to get around the city. For
subways and local trains, you have to buy your ticket from a machine. They're
easy to understand, they even have English instructions and a map explaining
the routes and the cost to travel to each station on the map. From this you can
find out what your fare should be. If you can't work out how much the fare
should be, simply buy the lowest price ticket, usually 120 yen. When you reach
your destination, go to the ticket-adjustment machine, insert your ticket and
it will tell you how much more you have to pay. If you can’t find the fare
adjustment machine ask at the staffed counter at the exit gate and pay the
difference.

How to Ride The Train For Free In Japan

If you wish to
ride anywhere for 120 yen, buy a ticket for 120 yen, and when you reach your
destination tell the staff at the ticket office that you have lost your ticket.
If it’s a small station with only one staff member, sometimes they will let you
exit the station without paying anything. Otherwise they will ask you where you
came from. Make sure you know the name of the closest station to your
destination, and then they will ask you to pay for another ticket, which should
only cost you 120 yen. If you have traveled far between cities it could save
you 2000 to 4000 yen or even more! For example its possible to travel from
Kansai Airport to Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Shiga, Wakayama, Himeji or even as far as
Okayama on the JR train line without ever exiting the station and paying for
another ticket except your initial 120 yen investment. I don’t recommend doing
this regularly, as they have cameras at the stations, and will keep a photo of
you in case you re offend. This is for emergencies
when you have nearly run out of money, or lost your money and need to reach
your destination far from where you are. Please try to leave Japan a better
place than you found it. Most people in Japan abide by the law, and so should
you if you wish to have good fortune and a great holiday.

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Thursday, 13 August 2015

Japan has good bus services. It is the most difficult transport
system for foreign travellers to use, so is usually underutilized. Stops are
often written only in Kanji. So learn the kanji for your destinations. Have
pictures of them on your phone. Ask the driver to tell you when to get off.

Depending on the city, payment may be required when you get on, or not until
you get off. In some cities, there's a flat fee regardless of distance traveled.
In the other cities, you take a ticket as you board that has a zone number,
which is your starting point. When you exit the bus, a sign at the front of the
bus shows the fare charged for each starting zone number. You just have to pay
the driver the fare that matches your zone number, by putting the ticket and
your money into a fare box. There may be a change machine near the front of the
bus that can change 100 yen coins, 500 yen coins and 1000 yen notes. Some buses
require you pay when you board.

The buses I ride in the suburbs of Osaka cannot change 10,000 yen notes. One day I boarded the bus with only a 10,000 yen
note and found out how to ride for free. The driver could not change it, and he
let me ride the bus for free. One time I found myself without change, an
old man paid my ticket, and then proceeded to complain to me for the whole
journey about how I should always bring change. Keep in mind if you present a
10,000 yen note, the driver can refuse you entry to the bus.

The bus around the
inner city of Osaka is a great way to sight-see. It will take you down streets
that you would never see if you just rode the subway. The suburban buses are
harder to use, and run less frequently. Make sure to plan your trip carefully
before boarding a bus.

If you find my articles informative and interesting, please help support my writing career and my family, by donating to my fan funding page on Youtube, or via Pay Pal at stingyscoundreljapan@gmail.com.

Tuesday, 11 August 2015

The city of Yokohama Japan, is now hosting a Pickachu Summer street
festival until Monday the 17th of August 2015. Pikachu is the popular mascot for
the Pokémon cartoon and video game chain. Over 1000 Giant Pikachus will be in the Yokohama Minatomirai area.

To see the Giant Pikachus go to the Landmark Hall Shopping Center in Yokohama Minatomirai Japan. They will also be performing dance routines in random areas on the streets of the Minatomirai harbor area, Sakuragicho Station, and also at the Aka Renga complex.While you are there check out the free Anpanman Show.

Giant Pikachu Yokohama Minatomirai Japan

Anapanman Yokohama Minatomirai Japan

Pikachu Yokohama Minatomirai Japan

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Sunday, 9 August 2015

Summer is a great time to take children to see outdoor shows in Japan. The Anpanman museums are located in Yokohama, Sendai, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Kobe. Here your children can enjoy the world of one of Japans most famous cartoon characters, Anpanman. This cartoon series is over 30 years old and is still a very popular children's TV show and book series.

The entry fee to the Anpanman musuem is 1500yen for children over 1 year of age and adults. A small gift is given to each child upon entry. However there are free shows on weekends in front of the museum and there is an interesting shop with food and souvenirs that will also interest children. I recently took my daughter to see the free show in Yokohama. She was very impressed by it, and enjoyed meeting all the characters including Anpanman, Currypanman, Shokupanman, Uncle Jam, Batako, Cheese, Baikinman, Dokinchan, Horaaman, and, Melonpanna.

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Friday, 7 August 2015

I recently went to Uniqlo near Umeda Station in Osaka. I picked up a Black Jack shirt for only 500 yen. Black Jack is a very famous Manga character in Japan. Great deals can be found at Uniqlo as they have sales every weekend. It is usually cheaper to buy on weekends than on weekdays. Some stores will also heavily discount excess stock, so some Uniqlo stores will have cheaper items than others. Therefore it is a good idea to look inside different Uniqlo stores when bargain hunting. End of season is another great time to get heavily discounted merchandise at Uniqlo.
See Japan Daily Fun Facts for more information on Black Jack

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnji/7377132180/

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/oimax/185436408/

Source: InSapphoWeTrust Flickr

If you find my articles informative and interesting, please help support my writing career and my family, by donating to my fan funding page on Youtube, or via Pay Pal at stingyscoundreljapan@gmail.com.

Heated
Vending Machine Drinks In Japan

Over 50 percent of Japan’s vending machine market sells beverages,
which has led to companies developing technology that allows the vending
machines to store heated as well as refrigerated drinks. The most popular
brands of drinks are Pocari Sweat, Calpis Water, C.C. Lemon and Aquarius.

Vending Machine Motomachi Kobe Hyogo Japan

Cost
of Vending Machine Drinks In Japan

The average price for a drink from a vending machine is about
150 yen. A Japanese convenience store also averages about 150 yen per drink. Some lesser known
brands of drinks are priced at about 80 yen, however these are smaller
and don’t taste as good.

Vending Machine Motomachi Kobe Hyogo Japan

The
Cheapest Drinks In Japan

If your looking for the best deal in Japan on drinks always
buy from a supermarket. All the well known brands usually sell for 100 or 120
yen. Sometimes the extra large sizes are about 150 yen but they are better value for the money. The cheapest
drinks to be found in Japan are sold at Super Tamade supermarkets in Osaka. The
suburbs of Osaka have many of these super markets.

Super Tamade Daikokucho Osaka Japan

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Monday, 3 August 2015

Osaka Castle has a musuem inside the castle with many artifacts on display, a beautiful 360 panoramic view and gardens with cherry blossom trees.

Children under 15 are admitted for free!

Adults only pay 600 yen each. If you have a large group of fifteen people you can get in for 500 yen each.

Opening times are 9am to 5pm.

This is a very affordable place to take your family.

There are also open spaces outside the castle to have a picnic.

For more information on the history, things to do at Osaka Castle and how to get there please see my detailed story on Osaka Castle on Hubpages.

Osaka Castle Japan

Osaka Castle Japan

Here is the official Osaka Castle Museum Website.If you find my articles informative and interesting, please help support my writing career and my family, by donating to my fan funding page on Youtube, or via Pay Pal at stingyscoundreljapan@gmail.com.

Saturday, 1 August 2015

Tatami Jumping Cat Gets Scared Of Dog

I was recently down at a small tatami factory in Shin Nagata Kobe ordering some new tatami mats. My daughter was helping to sweep the floor. Then along came the tatami cat, which became frightened of the dog and jumped over it. It was very funny.

Mr Kanatani is one of Hyogo's best ever Tatami makers having won many awards. He has run this small tatami business for over 30 years. I highly recommend his services.
Please see the map below for directions to get there.

尾上ハイツ

〒653-0041 Hyōgo-ken, Kōbe-shi, Nagata-ku, Kubochō, 10 Chome−5−5

Tatami Factory Shin Nagata Kobe Hyogo Japan

Tatami Factory Shin Nagata Kobe Hyogo Japan

If you find my articles informative and interesting, please help support my writing career and my family, by donating to my fan funding page on Youtube, or via Pay Pal at stingyscoundreljapan@gmail.com.